Green Building FAQs

1)What is Sustainability?

Sustainability as a concept is defined as a requirement of our generation to manage the resource base such that the average quality of life that we ensure ourselves can potentially be shared by all future generations.

It recognizes that in order to improve quality of life for everyone, we need to consider economic, social and environmental issues in an integrated way. For example, economic growth is not sustainable if it causes environmental and social degradation. Thus the term sustainability encapsulates the three entities namely economic, social and environmental.

2)What is Sustainable Development?

Sustainable development refers to development in such a manner that it leads to improvements in the quality of life for current and future generations. It underscores the fact that we as stakeholders have a part to play within our domain and it should be played with seriousness.

There is another definition which is as follows. "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". It contains within it two key concepts:

The concept of 'needs', in particular the essential needs of the world's poor, to which overriding priority should be given; and

The idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environment's ability to meet present and future needs."

3)What is a Green Building?

A green building is one where the qualities of both the indoor and its outdoor environments have been considered and protected during its design, construction, maintenance and use.

Green building is the idea of creating (using sustainable design practices) a built environment comprising buildings, landscapes, communities and infrastructure that connects the highest positive regard for our quality of life with the least ecological consequences to our environment.

4)Does the word "Green Building" refer to a particular stage of the building such as design?

No. This is a wrong notion that springs on account of lack of clear understanding of the principle. "Green Building" as a principle is applicable from Cradle to Grave of the built environment. On the broad horizon it includes design development, construction, commissioning, handing over, operation & maintenance and ending with ultimate demolition and disposal.

As you can notice, there are several KEY elements (Technological, Behavioral and Financial) that greatly shape and influence green buildings.

It is incorrect to assume that the Green building refers ONLY to a particular phase of the project

5)What are some of basic characteristics of a Green building?

Green Buildings exemplify a greater sense of responsibility in design, construction, operation and maintenance as a result of which when compared to standard "business as usual" design, have

improved Energy efficiency

reduced water consumption

improved indoor air quality

better maintenance and reduced operational costs

reduced emissions

6)Are there any other terminologies for Green Buildings?

There are several terminologies that are widely used in the industry to refer to green buildings. They are

Sustainable building

Environmentally responsible building

Energy efficient building

Low carbon building

EHS uses the word "Green Building" for all its communications and regulatory services

7)How do I initiate sustainability into my project?

The best way to incorporate sustainability into the projects is to address it at the conceptual stage and in the detailed design phase. Doing so would ensure that the benefits are maximized with minimum if any additional resources.

On a broad level, the consultants should ensure that there is adequate integrated design approach in the project. All KEY stakeholders comprising clients, AEC consultants, Green Building consultants, commissioning specialists, potential contractors, FM companies, operators etc. are to be included in the integrated process so as to derive the best out of the discussions.

8)What does EHS do for the development of Green Buildings?

Environment, Health & Safety EHS through its "Sustainability section" administers Green Building Regulations for New Constructions of PCFC / Dubai world jurisdictions. In other words it develops the regulations and regulatory infrastructure for a sustainable built environment within the jurisdiction. In addition it also employs several supports, informatory and voluntary instruments to steer sustainable growth.

9)What are EHS's Green building requirements?

EHS Green building regulations in its current form are focusing on New Constructions only.

It is mandatory for ALL new constructions within the jurisdiction to comply with EHS Green Building Regulations before they are issued with an NOC (No Objection Certificate) for Building Permit and Building Completion.

10)How long has EHS been mandating green building regulations for new developments?

More than 9 years. The enforcement started in the year 2008

11)Is Trakhees-EHS the first regulatory body to mandate green building regulations in UAE?

Yes. EHS was the first in the region to develop and introduce an instrument on green buildings.

12)Are the Green Building regulations applicable to whole of Dubai?

No. The green building regulations are applicable only to Trakhees / PCFC jurisdictions and Dubai World jurisdictions.

The rest of Dubai is coming under other authorities.

13)What are the specific highlights of EHS as a Regulatory body in regards to Green Buildings?

The department has more than 9 years of broad and diversified experience in the field of green buildings.

It adopts a practical approach while shaping its policies, carefully considering the needs of the environment as well as stakeholders. It has developed region specific regulations, practical procedures, guidelines and other tools to encourage and steer the city towards low carbon development. It strongly believes in continuous improvements which are reflected in its regulatory journey.

Being the first in the region has played a key role in bringing EHS Sustainability department to where it is now.

14)Where can I find the information pertaining to Green Building Regulations?

You can access the information in the portal www.trakhees.ae in the "Regulations" section of the "Green Building Department"

15)Does the Regulation cover all developments? How do I know what is relevant to my project?

The scope of these regulations covers all developments. Details are available in the procedure section of the portal www.trakhees.ae. The procedure is EHS-GBP-03. "Procedure for Ascertaining EHS Green Building Regulations Applicability to a Project"

16)What is the role of EHS Green building department in Green buildings projects?

Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Department of Trakhees is the regulatory arm of Dubai World-Ports, Customs and Free Zone corporation(PCFC) and responsible to implement the EHS Mandatory Regulations for Green Building Sustainable Development.

The development of facilities (New constructions) within the jurisdiction of Trakhees-EHS necessitates approval from the Green Building department (Sustainability Department) to facilitate the issuance of the NOC-BP and NOC-BCC from the permits department.

Accordingly The Green Building department administers the following activities through its regulatory role

Review of the Green Building Submissions and giving clearances to the Permits section in the process of issuance of EHS-NOC for Building Permit.

Review of the submissions (and carrying out relevant inspections where feasible ) and giving clearance to the Permits section in the process of issuance of EHS-NOC for Building Completion Certificate

In-House Certification – New Buildings (optional program)

Review and Approval of Pre-Qualification Applications for Third Party Green Building Consultants/specialists

Accreditation of consultants

Technical support / advice

For more information please refer to the home page of the Green Building Section

17)What is the basis of EHS Green Building Regulation?

The Green Building Regulation in its original form was adapted from the LEED NC2.2 version of USGBC. It had components of mandatory and voluntary credits which it developed based on the needs of the region and the maturity of the market.

In the course of its regulatory activities, in line with its policy of continuous assessments and improvements and taking into consideration the views of several stakeholders and finally to achieve a regulation based on the dynamics of the region and its ecology, EHS created additional regulations for specific developments such as warehouses and villas. In addition it also developed a prescriptive regulation for small developments with a built-up area of less than 500 sq.m

18)How many Green Building Regulations are currently administered and where can I get the information?

GB 8.0 Green Building Regulations for Villas and Residential Developments up to 3 habitable floors

Details are available in www.trakhees.ae under the Regulations section of the "Green Buildings" department

19)What are the main differences in the Regulations referred above?

Regulation GB 4 is aligned to LEED and is enforced for all "new constructions" other than Warehouse and Villa projects. Further this has performance based elements as part of the regulation and needs to be administered by EHS prequalified green building specialists.

Regulations 6, 7 and 8 are predominantly prescriptive in nature and are development based. These can be administered by any competent AEC company. Further Regulation GB 6.0 requires consultants and contractors to seek accreditation from the department

20)What is the status of Regulation GB 5 that was also available in the portal?

Regulation GB 5, the original version of the Green Building regulation was aligned to LEED v2.2. With revisions that took place over a period of time on LEED, EHS Regulations underwent changes and were accordingly reflected in the Regulation EHS-GB 4.0.

EHS-GB 5.0 has since been removed from the portal as it has become redundant.

21)What is the difference between EHS Green building Regulation GB 4.0 and GB 5.0?

EHS Green building regulations have evolved from USGBC LEED rating system. While EHS Green building regulation GB 5.0 was aligned to LEED NC v2.2, EHS Green building regulation GB 4.0 is aligned to LEED NC v3 released in 2009 by USGBC.

Accordingly, EHS Green Building Regulations underwent minor changes in terms of the points while essentially retaining the intent of those credits. In terms of intent and the requirements both are essentially the same.

As stated above, EHS-GB 5.0 has since been removed from the portal as it has become redundant.

22)Where can I find detailed information on the EHS mandatory points for GB 4.0?

Relevant information can be found in the website www.trakhees.ae under the Regulations section of the Ggreen buildings department. They are also available in the information section of the portal.

23)As per the current Regulation, do we have to register the project with USGBC?

For projects following GB 4.0 and GB 5.0., it was originally a requirement by EHS to register the projects with USGBC and pursue it to the final certification / Rating as the case may be.

However, effective from 15 December, 2011, the clients and stakeholders were given an option to seek EHS "In-House" certification if they wish so which was an alternative to the external certification. Hence Registration of the project with GBCI is not mandatory. It is left to the decision of the clients.

24)What would be the status of projects that have already been registered with USGBC under LEED NC 2.2?

Projects that have already been registered can continue to pursue the same path and will not be affected. The timeframe for registration and migration as stipulated by USGBC would hold good for EHS projects too. However if there are any changes within GBCI on account of which such projects are unable to pursue, it should be brought to the attention of EHS for appropriate alternative compliance paths.

25)How has the response of the market been towards In-House certification?

The response has been overwhelming and stakeholders are showing increasing preference for EHS in-house certification

26)Can you quantify this shift on a broad scale?

As stated earlier, in-house certification has been received very well by the stakeholders and the timely roll out of this appears to have fulfilled the anticipation of the market. Since its launch, several projects have opted this path, in place of external certification. On abroad scale approximately 70% of the projects have opted for In-House certification.

27)What are the current rules regarding the Green Building Certification?

The Certification requirements of the projects are covered in the procedure section EHS-GBP-03.

Effective from Jan 2012, there are 2 options for the Green Building Certification

Option-1

To register the project with Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) and pursue the external certification

Option-2

To register the project with EHS and seek In-House certification. For details please refer to the procedure section of the department

28)What are the KEY differences between External Certification and EHS In-House Certification?

The External certification is administered by Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) based in states.

The In-House Certification is administered completely by EHS In-House and has got the following unique characteristics

Submission and Review by EHS

Site Inspection

Interview with the client team

Certification and Recognition

In addition to the above key distinctions', In House Certification at a broad level is more economical to the client.

29)Where can I get the Fee structure for EHS In-House Certification?

Please refer to the procedure EHS-GBP-13 for obtaining the information

30)Where can I get the Fee structure for EHS Green Building Design Review (NOC-BP submissions)?

Please refer to the procedures EHS-GBP-5, 7, 9 and 11 available in the portal www.trakhees.ae

31)Are there any fees for the review of the Green Building submission during NOC-BCC?

Currently the green building section does not charge review fees for the review of green building NOC-BCC submissions.

No. Currently EHS certifies only those buildings that follow Green Building regulation GB 4.0 and the certification service is an option provided to the clients in lieu of external GBCI certification.

Also in case a warehouse development wishes to follow GB 4 (instead of Gb 6) and accordingly seeks in house certification, EHS would certify them as per the current procedures

EHS as of now, does not provide In-House Certification service for developments that follow other Regulations i.e. warehouses and villas. If EHS decides at any point of time in future, to extent this service to other developments, it would be duly notified to the stakeholders through appropriate channels.

34)What are the third party agencies prequalified by EHS Green building department?

Currently EHS Green building department prequalifies the following specialists

Green building consultants / Allied specialists

Commissioning specialist

35)What is the difference between a commissioning specialist and consultant?

The commissioning specialist also referred to as commissioning agent or a specialist is an independent entity appointed directly by the client. He is appointed to ensure that at the minimum level, the building's energy systems are installed calibrated and tested in accordance to the owner's project requirements, basis of design and construction documents.

The role of Green building consultant is to ensure that the project is designed to EHS Green Building Regulation applicable to the project and to coordinate all processes required for the certification. This includes the necessary design integrations and coordination required at several stages of the project in order to fulfill the requirements of the credits sought for the project.

36)Do I need an EHS registered Green Building Consultant / commissioning specialist for ALL the projects?

As it stands now, EHS has a basket of Green Building Regulations targeting specific developments. The services of EHS prequalified Green Building Consultants / Commissioning Specialist have to be sought for projects following the Regulation GB 4.0 and GB 5.0 which are aligned to LEED rating system.

For Projects that are governed by EHS Green Building Regulations other than GB 4.0 and GB 5.0, it is not mandatory to appoint these specialists. These In-house regulations have been crafted in a way that it could be administered by an EXPERIENCED ARCHITECTURAL / ENGINEERING FIRM. However, it is purely up to the AEC to appoint an EHS prequalified green building specialist if they have limitations in terms of resources, experience or understanding of the EHS Green Building Regulations.

Energy modeling is applicable only if the total conditioned space is more than 2000 sq.m

For details please refer to the Regulation GB 8.

40)Why, do I need an EHS registered Green building consultant / commissioning specialist for LEED based project?

The Regulation GB 4 is a credit based regulation and a rating tool that has got elaborate requirements including energy modeling and commissioning. Further it also encapsulates rigorous documentation works to demonstrate the compliance and provide evidence as appropriate for several credits. On account of these factors, it was envisaged that the stakeholders in general and the developers in particular need the support mechanisms to administer the green building regulations in their projects. That was the driving force behind prequalification.

The prequalified Green Building Consultants are expected to have the expertise to design the facility to sustainable standards and to coordinate the documentation process required for certification with GBCI. They support and encourage the design integration required for sustainable development and streamline the application and certification process.

Similarly, the Commissioning Specialist referred to as CxA, ensures that the building's energy systems are designed, installed, tested, commissioned and operated as per the Owner's project requirement . CxA also ensures that owner's project requirement, basis of design and construction documents speak the same language.

EHS has, by virtue of an elaborate pre-qualification mechanism, short listed consultants and CxA to accomplish the mentioned tasks. A brief description of the deliverables of Green building consultants and CxA is available in the portal under guidelines section of the Green buildings department.

41)Can any Architectural & Engineering consultant be appointed as Green building consultants / commissioning Specialist for my LEED based project?

If the consultant has been prequalified by EHS as green building consultant, you may appoint them as long as the neutrality of the function is maintained and there is no conflict between the Green building team and the design team.

Else, you have to engage a green building consultant from any of the EHS registered/ prequalified Green Building consultants / Commissioning Specialist.

42)Where can I find EHS registered Green building consultants and Commissioning Specialist?

Relevant information can be found in the website www.trakhees.ae under green buildings department third party agencies. Click here

43)What are the eligibility criteria for registering within EHS as a Green building consultant and commissioning Specialist?

44)What are the specific deliverables of Green building consultant and Commissioning Specialist?

A brief description of the deliverables of Green building consultants and Commissioning specialist is available in the portal under guidelines section of the Green buildings department.

45)What are the unique features of EHS developed Prescriptive regulations?

These regulations have been developed for the Warehouse developments and Villa developments. Their features are as follows

An Economical option for the clients and third party developers

Developed In-House by EHS Sustainability Department after Incorporating the views and feedback of multitude of stakeholders

Comprehensive and user Friendly. Almost Prescriptive.

Can broadly be administered by an Experienced AEC.

Elaborate Submission Requirements and detailed Submission procedures

Focus on areas / issues relevant to the region

46)What are the requirements for projects following Warehouse Green Building regulations?

These regulations can be administered by a competent consultant as long as he / she has undertaken the accreditation program for regulatory awareness.

47)Please provide some details about the Accreditation program offered by the Green Building department.

This program is currently offered for Warehouse Regulations.

"EHS Green Building Regulations for Warehouses and Industrial developments" was a landmark decision considering that it was developed fully In-house, predominantly prescriptive and was rendered in a fashion that it could be administered by an experienced AEC/ Engineer of record. During its launch, EHS had expressed its intention to conduct training sessions in due course so as to help the consultants and contractors familiarize with the regulations in terms of understanding the regulations, compliance requirements and submission strategies so that the stakeholder is able to put together a proper and coherent submission.

In line with that commitment, EHS sustainability section introduced this mandatory training program which at a basic level is applicable to all the stakeholders that are part of the Green Building submission process for the projects that fall under the purview of "Green Building regulations for warehouse and industrial developments". The program, besides providing an overview of this regulation in entirety, would also greatly assist in understanding the sequence and structure of the submissions required during NOC-BP and NOC-BCC and it is expected that it would save time and resources spent in the submission, review and approval processes.

Please refer to the circular section of the portal to look for circular 06-12 and circular 05-14 for additional information

48)How does Accreditation assist the project?

The purpose in gaining accreditation is to provide the applicant with the knowledge and tools required to make a proper submission to the authorities. The program as such covers familiarizing the whole process including the regulations, compliances, evidences, applicable forms and submission methodologies. This is expected to result in quality submissions and faster response from the authorities.

In view of the above, it is strongly suggested to get all the applicants accredited.

Also, it is extremely important to ensure that the submission packages are compiled ONLY by the accredited personnel and not from any other member of the organisation.

49)Does EHS have any such Accreditation program for Villa developments?

Currently there is no dedicated accreditation program for villa regulations.

Notwithstanding that, it is important that the Consultant's / contractor's team is well geared to comply with the requirements on site. In that regard they are urged to seek the current accreditation program. Although the program targets green building regulations addressing warehouses, it pretty much encapsulates the villa regulations as well and can assist the team in understanding the regulations, bringing the required awareness on site level compliance and putting together a proper submission package.

50)Whom should we contact for obtaining the procedure and fee structure of the accreditationprogram?

You may obtain the required information by contacting the accreditation department at EHS.Accreditation@trakhees.ae or phone 04-8068888

51)What do we do if there is a technical challenge to meeting the mandatory requirements of EHS?

Should you face any technical challenge in the process of achieving any of the mandatory requirements, please feel free to contact us and our technical team would be more than willing to meet up with your team to assist you in the endeavor.

Trakhees-EHS is committed to providing technical support and guidance to our clients to expedite the process of completion of GBS projects

52)What goes into a typical Green building review of the Green building department?

The green building department attempts to check the project for its compliance to green building regulation that is applicable to that specific project after which it compiles and issues a review report identifying areas for clarification / resubmission. Upon receipt of clarifications, the project is issued with a green building clearance for NOC-BP or NOC-BCC as per the case.

53)Are there bound to be any differences in EHS Review response on submissions made by Green building consultants in place of AEC?

No.

The review process of EHS Green building department is strictly structured around the applicable regulations for a specific project type and the embedded procedures. In line with those guiding principles, the reviews are objective and issue based and has no bearing on the consultants.

As stated earlier certain types of projects require the role of green building specialists / consultants and for such projects, the submissions should be duly prepared by the qualified specialist.

54)Can a developer submit a letter of undertaking in place of a submission?

No.

55)What is the Green building department's view on the letter of undertaking?

Our procedures clearly identify the submission requirements for various services including the associated forms to be used. Under no circumstances would a project without necessary submissions be considered eligible for review. A letter of undertaking to carry out an exercise that is in turn required for the approval is futile. Hence stakeholders are cautioned not to fall victim to the letter of undertaking as it does not assist them in any manner. Rather it delays the project. Having said that, within the elaborate submissions which the stakeholder has already made for the project, if there are few areas which by its very nature (such as no smoking policy, carpooling, construction management etc.) can be conveyed only through letter of undertakings, they are acceptable.

56)Can a Green Building Requirement be waived for a project?

No. These are mandatory and are in line with H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai directive of Green Dubai 2008.

57)Does EHS have any Regulations for Existing Buildings?

No. It is purely mandatory. But it would highly encourage its stakeholders to address their existing stock of buildings in the interest of saving precious resources which for this region is heavily centered on energy and water.

58)Has EHS issued any sort of Guidelines for Energy Efficiency of Existing Buildings?

Existing Buildings are being considered as power houses for future sustainability of the Built Environment. Realizing their great potential EHS Sustainability Department released two powerful generic documents for approaching the existing stock of buildings. They are

Details are available in the portal www.trakhees.ae under the "Guidelines" section

59)Has the sustainability department developed any guidelines to help applicants in preparing the submissions?

Yes.

The sustainability department rolled out the following guidelines in the year 2017 for the benefit of the stakeholders.

Guideline No. GB-010 Sample Submission Formats Warehouse [NOC-BP]

Guideline No. GB-011 Sample Submission Formats Warehouse [NOC-BCC]

Guideline No. GB-012 Sample Submission Formats Villa [NOC-BP]

Guideline No. GB-013 Sample Submission Formats Villa [NOC-BCC]

These have been prepared after a great deal of introspection on the market requirements. These in combination with the accreditation are expected to significantly enhance not only understanding of the requirements but the quality of submissions.

60)Does EHS have any voluntary programs for Existing Buildings?

EHS commenced a program called EEIP "Energy Efficiency Improvement program" to reach out to its existing clients and business units and to create awareness on the opportunities available within the existing stock of buildings. The idea behind the program is to bring the clients and the specialists face to face in a forum and create a platform wherein the specialists share their success stories with the clients. It is expected that such initiative would serve as catalyst and would motivate the clients into pursuing their own such programs within their organization.

61)How many programs have been conducted so far and how can I get the relevant information?

EHS Sustainability Department has conducted 3 such programs targeting the commercial and industrial community. Details are available in pkheespkheeswww.trakhees.ae under the "Latest News" section.

62)Is there a Certification program for Existing Buildings?"

YES. EHS Rolled out is "Certification program for Existing Buildings" in January 2013.

This is Voluntary and is open to companies that have voluntarily taken the initiative of energy efficiency improvement within their organizations.

63)What is the procedure for Existing Building Certification program for Existing Buildings?"

Please refer to the EHS-GBP-14 in the procedure section of the portal.

64)What is the role of materials in sustainable buildings?

Materials play a significant role in not only the design and construction of the building but into the operations as well. The way they are sourced, manufactured and transported are equally important. It boils down to sustainable practices in terms of choosing materials, their sources and construction methodologies as well as design philosophy which result in reducing the life cycle impact (and cost). The choice of materials in the project should improve the performance, minimize waste and reduce the environmental burden on the project.

65)Does the Sustainability department approve materials?

No. It does not prequalify / approve/label any materials / products. EHS is a regulatory body and accordingly confines its role to establishing and enforcing the regulations.

66)Does the department provide any guidance for materials?

As stated above, by virtue of its clear role as a regulatory body, it does not approve or label materials. However in future, it may provide guidance by providing a list of systems/ products / product specialists (without any liability on EHS part) that can be reviewed by the stakeholders to take an informed decision on its relevance for their projects.

67)In what ways can stakeholders work with the Green building department for the benefit of the built environment?

Given that the Green building department has specific roles and responsibilities it is advisable for the stakeholder to review their profile and accordingly explore avenues. The Green building department strives to enhance its infrastructure and enforcement which can be through several strategies that include all of but not limited to

Strengthening regulations

Responsible enforcement

Capacity building

Offering Technical advise

Overcoming barriers

If the stakeholder genuinely shares these concerns and is keen to play a positive role, they are welcome to contact the department for ideas and suggestions.

68)Is it possible to obtain duplicate copies of Sustainability department approvals? Are there costs associated with it?

Yes. EHS has a policy for issuing duplicate copies of the approvals. This is subject to obtaining the necessary documentation from the applicant as well as internal approvals. The Fee depends on the type of document i.e. NOC, drawings etc.

For details on the documentation and the Fee, you are asked to contact the department.

69)How do I get additional information on EHS Green building Regulations or any other subject / issues that are not available in the portal?

If you are working on a project that does not appear to be directly addressed in the department section of the portal or would like to ga8in , we ask you to get in touch with the department .The department plays a proactive role in providing technical assistance to its stakeholders in pursuit of sustainability. The contacts are as mentioned below